January Greetings to All,

Somehow we have been able to forge our way into the New Year………so glad of that….

COVID consumed so much of our lives and time during 2020; now we will look forward to new beginnings of all kinds.

Last year we had to concentrate on our physical well-being; our January program will give us information on how to watch out for our digital well-being. Jennifer Wilken will present on January 11……so make sure to participate in this interesting program through Zoom.

For the coming months we have programs and fundraisers planned that will be of interest to all of us. Our fundraisers are especially important for us this year.

Please join us.

You must register for the event HERE by Friday, January 8 to receive the link to the meeting.

January 20th at City Barbeque

People love good BBQ, as shown by the success of past fundraisers at City Barbeque! Place a group order and we will get to our minimum of $500 in no time! Enjoy a cozy barbecue dinner during the coldest days of winter. Curbside delivery is available. Use the attached flyer to email to friends and family so that they can join in this event. Following are the rules (many of which are also on the flyer).

•   Our code for this fundraiser is FundA at the online order link

•   For an online order to count toward our fundraiser, you must apply code FundA prior to checkout online or in the City BBQ app.

•   Online orders must be fulfilled—i.e. picked up or delivered—on January 20th in order to be eligible: orders placed on the date of our fundraiser for fulfillment at a later date will not count toward your sales. (Orders can, however, be placed in advance for fulfillment on our fundraiser date.)

•   Online orders must be placed at City Barbeque Downers Grove to be eligible: orders placed using your code at any other location will not count toward your sales.

•   If ordering in person, tell the cashier it is for the AAUW fundraiser or present the attached flyer.

•   You may not pass out or distribute flyers on City Barbeque property.

•   Total fundraising proceeds must be $500 or more to receive your 20% of the proceeds from all eligible sales.

Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was an investigative reporter, world traveler, business owner, patent holder, suffragist, war correspondent, and advocate for abandoned children and single mothers. A woman ahead of her times!

Co-Hosted by DG Area Branch of AAUW, Lombard Area Branch of AAUW, and LWV DG, Lisle & Woodridge

Register for the event HERE by Monday, February 1.

All those registered will receive the Zoom link on Tuesday, February 2.

A DG Area AAUW Branch business meeting follows the program at about 8 p.m.

Used book collections are being postponed until September 2021. Stay tuned for complete details about the sale and future collections coming in March.

Most interest groups are currently meeting on Zoom. Below are the covers for the books being discussed at January meetings of three of the four book groups. Join us to learn more!

Branch Membership includes access to over fifteen Interest Groups, leadership roles on the board and committees, planning and production of monthly public programs, the annual Equal Pay Day Rally as well as the Used Book Sale. PLUS State and National informational emails and opportunities!

Fill out the pdf attached here and mail it with a check OR join online.

The Public Programs Notice is archived on the Past Programs page of our website.

The next Public Programs Notice will be released on or about February 5th around 9 a.m. Prevent your newsletter from being marked as Junk or Spam by opening it right away!

Blue underlined text in the newsletter indicates clickable links to emails, websites, or pdfs.

Here is a terrific thank you for our recent contributions . . . I don’t remember ever receiving this kind of recognition before.

Dear AAUW Downers Grove Area (IL) Branch leaders and members,

I hope this note finds you and all your branch members safe and well and that you’ve drawn strength during these challenging times from the bonds that connect AAUW members.

Goodness, what a year 2020 has been. As we enter the final weeks of December, all of us at AAUW National continue to work from home, as we have since mid-March—which seems like years ago! I’m so proud of our national office staff and all they’ve accomplished to pivot to virtual programs, increased advocacy and a fierce commitment to our mission this year.

This week, I learned from our team that your Downers Grove Area Branch made generous gifts to our Greatest Needs Fund and to support NCCWSL scholarships. Please share my personal thanks with all those whose passion for AAUW’s mission made these gifts possible.

Your AAUW Greatest Needs gift provides flexible support, which is especially important now as we’ve faced challenges on every front. We are working to ensure that gains we’ve won won’t be lost—in educational opportunity, economic security, leadership and every arena in which we work. Your support for NCCWSL scholarships is also much needed and greatly appreciated at this time.

The pandemic has exacerbated and highlighted inequities that run deep and, with your support, we’re meeting the moment. Just recently, I wrote an op-ed for Newsweek about how COVID19 is so tough on working moms, and what policies and actions we can take towards economic recovery. But it’s a long road ahead. I’m proud to report that your national staff is as hard at work and as motivated as we’ve ever been to secure equity for all women and girls.

Please take every precaution and be safe this holiday season. Thank you, thank you, thank you—and I hope to “see” many of you on a Zoom AAUW webinar soon!

With gratitude,

Kim Churches

1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005

202.785.7767| churchesk@aauw.org | www.aauw.org

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** CO-PRESIDENTS Mary Ann Dion & Sandra Sansone Brennan * VICE-PRESIDENT PROGRAMS Mary-Jo Bryan Wolsky * VICE-PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP Kristen Beirne * VICE-PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS Kim Venzon * SECRETARY Sue Stealey * TREASURER Coleen Walter **

APPOINTED OFFICERS * AAUW FUNDS Harriett Lindstrom * PUBLIC POLICY Emily Owens

for information about supporting our branch through an ad

in the Members Only newsletter(about 100 members!) and the

Public Programs Notice (currently 54 subscribers and growing every day.)